And round about the pole does make A circle, like a bear at stake, That at the chain's end wheels about, And overturns the rabble rout. For after solemn proclamation, In the bear's name, as is the fashion, According to the law of arms, To keep men from inglorious harms, That none presume to come so near As forty feet of stake of bear; If any yet be so fool hardy, T' expose themselves to vain jeopardy, If they come wounded off, and lame, No honour's got by such a maim. Indeed, in 1709, Christopher Preston, of Hockley-in-the-Hole, was attacked and partially devoured by one of his own bears. His funeral sermon was preached by the Rev. Dr. Pead, then incumbent of St. James's, Clerkenwell. The animals destined for combat were paraded through the streets, as we learn from Gay ('Trivia,' Book 2). Experienc'd Men, inur'd to City Ways, Need not the _Calendar_ to count their Days. When through the Town, with slow and solemn Air, Led by the Nostril walks the muzzled Bear; Behind him moves majestically dull, The Pride of _Hockley Hole_, the surly Bull; Learn hence the Periods of the Week to Name. _Mondays_ and _Thursdays_ are the Days of Game. That these places of so-called sport were disorderly need not be said; indeed, to 'make a place a bear-garden' is proverbial. The rough element wanted some safe outlet for its energy, and found it in such exhibitions. Nor must we be too hasty to decry them when we recollect that it was only in 1835 that it absolutely became illegal to keep any house, pit, or other place for baiting or fighting any bull, bear, dog, or other animal. We have our dog-fights now--prize-fighting is not yet extinct, many a quiet main of cocks is fought, many a rat-pit exists, and badger-drawing is not altogether an unknown thing. There were three bear-gardens--at Hockley-in-the-Hole (Clerkenwell), at Marrybone Fields (at the back of Soho Square), and at Tuttle (Tothill) Fields, Westminster, and at all these, baiting was carried on. Of the latter we find an advertisement promising plenty of sport:[369] 'At William Wells's Bear Garden, in Tuttle Fields, Westminster, this present _Monday_ the 10th of _April_, will be a _Green Bull Baited_; and 20 _Doggs_ fights for a _Coller_, and that Dogg that runs farthest and fairest wins the _Coller_; with other Diversion of _Bull Baiting_ and _Bear Baiting_. [Footnote 369: _Harl. MSS._ 5931, 282.]